Justinian's Flea: Plague, Empire, and the Birth of Europe Audiobook

" Faascinating discussion on the impact that an event such as plague can have on the course of history. "

" Very interesting account of the importance of the plague in changing the face of Europe. "

" Very interesting account of how history was affected by the plagues of history "

" Fascinating look at history from an unusual perspective. I liked the mix of scientific discussion about how the plague came to Europe, and the stories about individual personalities of the era. Very interesting read. "

" A little disjointed... I feel the author could have done a better job. The author seems to know his topic(s?), but fails to clearly draw the connections he claims between the collapse of Rome, the 'birth of Europe' and the emergence of y. pestis. "

" Waste of time...not bio-history but social and political history...misrepresented. "

" This book was interesting, but not strictly a history. It had a few chapters on the details of the flea and the plague bactirium. "

" Just so so. I was excited to read this book as I love Byzantine history, but was ultimately disappointed. I didn't think the book was exceptionally well written as there was lots of run on sentences and passages that didn't read very easily. Also the science about the plague bored me to tears. "

" Justinian I was one of the greatest figures in history and the last great emperor in Rome. Great history that is great and tragic to read. "

" The subject is fascinating, but the presentation wasn't as interesting as I expected. "

" Extremely good encapsulation of that point in time leading up to the first recorded plague outbreak. "

" Interesting view of Justinian's reign, but felt like it needed another re-write. "

" Fun, interesting, rambly account of the bubonic plague and the roman emperor Justinian. "

" A nifty look at both the Plague and the context of its first appearance on the stage of Western affairs under the Byzantine emperor Justinian. Worth a look! "

" The subject matter is very interesting and the research is first rate. However, I had trouble following the storyline. Not only did Rosen not stay chronological, but he jumped around geographically as well. "

" Really well done. Enough of a primer on late antiquity for the novice reader (eg, me), but also a highly intelligent and far-reaching argument. Well structured. "

" An interesting history of the end of the Roman Empire and the role the Bubonic Plague played in ending it. Sort of. The author digresses constantly, describing all sorts of things like the chemistry of the plague. Still, I liked it and found it informative. "

" The parts about the plague were fascinating, but I'd say that comprised about 10% of the book. The rest was about the politics and battles of the close of the Roman Empire, which were not especially interesting to me. "

" A little disjointed... I feel the author could have done a better job. The author seems to know his topic(s?), but fails to clearly draw the connections he claims between the collapse of Rome, the 'birth of Europe' and the emergence of y. pestis. "

" A very good perspective on an unappreciated part of history. Great detail on the plague "

" A nifty look at both the Plague and the context of its first appearance on the stage of Western affairs under the Byzantine emperor Justinian. Worth a look! "

" Waste of time...not bio-history but social and political history...misrepresented. "

" This is a well-written book. I think one of the blurbs on the back calls it "erudite"; I think that's apt. It made me feel ignorant about ancient history (and the author crams a lot into this volume), but I do feel smarter for having read it. "

" This book, while interesting in sections, drowns the reader in details that are not necessary. The author needs a hard editing. "